Chapter 7 Religion and Spirituality🔗

The subject of today's discourse is Religion and Spirituality.

First, we shall see what we currently understand by the words religion and spirituality and then we shall see what we are supposed to understand by the words religion and spirituality.

Santana Dharma is the spiritual tradition from which the religion Hinduism manifested. Santana Dharma is the spiritual ocean and the backbone of Hinduism. I will use Hinduism and Santana Dharma as the basis to explain the words religion and spirituality.

Before I start, I want to clarify a few things. When I use the word Hinduism or compare it with other traditions, I request people of other religions not to feel offended. Sometimes, when we need to explain or emphasize the greatness of something, we need to compare it with other analogous things.

Just to express the greatness or uniqueness of this culture and tradition, sometimes if I compare and make a few statements, please do not feel offended.

One more thing, whatever I am expressing is the Truth, which is logical and can be arqued and settled. Even then, I do not want anyone's feelings to be hurt; so, I wanted to say these words to set some context before I delve into the topic.

Questions and Answers:

Chapter 9

Chapter 8

Religions need updating

Hinduism is the only religion, which allows people to update it. All other religious scriptures end with a very clear statement that they cannot be updated or sometimes, cannot be commented upon by anyone.

Even software can be updated but some scriptures cannot be updated! They have closed their minds to the possibility of updating the tenets of the scriptures to suit the needs and culture of the times.

The moment we blockade the possibility of new commentaries, we make things redundant. The moment we prohibit updates, in that very moment we would have killed the whole religion, since what was good once upon a time may not be good for today. What was acceptable, as the right thing to do, once upon a time may not be the right thing to do today! Not only may, it wont be. The same tenets just cannot be good for today, because our body, mind, and social structures; in short, evervthing has changed.

Two kinds of Scriptures in Hinduism

In Hinduism, we have two kinds of scriptures. One is known as Sruthi, and the other as Smrithi.

The scripture, called Sruthi has a lot of commentaries translating the Sanskrit word Sruthi to mean 'heard'. Please understand; the word Sruthi cannot be translated as 'heard'. It has to be translated as experience.

Many times, when the Sanskrit to English translation is done improperly, the entire gist of the correct meaning is lost. Let me give you an example, brahmacharya, which has been wrongly translated into English as celibacy. This has led to so many complications and problems. The word brahmacharya means living like Brahman. Acharya means living like and Brahman means God. Therefore, living like God or living with God is what brahmacharya means. Living with Existence is the right translation of the word.

Usually, the moment people hear the word brahmacharya, they understand it wrongly as celibacy and ask me, 'Master, should we renounce everything to achieve wisdom? Should we become a brahmachari (one who practices brahmacharya), should we give up everything?"

I tell them, there is no need to give up anything, Just give up what you do not have, that is enough, Live with what you have and give up what you do not have. Many times, we live with many fantasies about things, which we do not have. When we give up what we do not have, we will start living intensely with what we have.

We continuously live with the things that we do not have our spouse and family; live with them intenselv. However, we have many fantasies, of how our wife should be, how our husband should be. Drop those fantasies!

Just drop what you do not have, that is enough.

That is what we must understand by the word Brahmacharya. Living with what we have; living with reality. If we understand this word correctly, we will know that it does not ask us to leave our husband or wife or our homes.

The very culture of the rishis (sage), from which the Technology of Enlightenment originated, was a Grihastha Dharma (householder way of life). Grihastha refers to someone who runs a house, in effect a married person. All rishis were married, yet they were called Brahmacharis. They lived with rishi pathnis (rishi's wives), they had children, yet they were called Brahmacharis.

How can we explain this? The word Brahmacharya means living with existence, not living as celibates have a different title, a different name: Naishtika Brahmachari and they lead a different lifestyle.

When we translate Sanskrit words, even if we make a small mistake, the whole truth will be lost.

The word Sruthi should be translated as experience, not as heard. It is this experience, of the rishis, that forms the basic scriptures of our Hindu philosophy. The Upanishads, the scriptures that describe the ultimate experience of our rishis, are the Sruthi. These scriptures cannot be changed, since this is the ultimate experience of our rishis.

The Sruthis do not speak about the day-to-day experiences or the approach to achieve that state. They iust state the goal and talk about it. We call these scriptures as Shastras or Sruthi. They iust give statements on what the rishis experienced, when they reached the higher consciousness. This is the first level of scriptures.

The second level of scriptures is the Smrithi. These scriptures give instructions on how to practice the great truths in our day-to-day lives.

It is like applied science. The Smrithi is a scripture that explains how to follow the Truth in our everyday life. Without its applications, science has no use; but without the main theories, the applications cannot be created.

We cannot have applied science without the main theories and there is no use for the main theories, unless we can apply them in practice. Both are necessary. The main theories capture the way that the world works, and these are applied in wavs to suit the times. Especially when it comes to the day-to-day applied science, there should be an option for updating. Today, we cannot restrict ourselves to the way that science was applied in the 19th century.

Of course, no other traditions, no other Masters have delved so deep into human consciousness. No one else has done so much work in human consciousness that they could differentiate so clearly between Sruthi and Smrithi, between Experience and Practice. All other spiritual literatures have either mixed these two or confused the two resulting in a statement that nothing can be updated; nothing can be changed. Some scriptures go to the extent of saying that nobody can even comment on them. It is such a sensitive issue.

Let me give you a small example. We get a train schedule. We look it up, and go to the station to catch a specific train. After waiting an hour, we realize that the train is not coming. Then we enquire with the authorities, and they point out to us that we are using last year's schedule. It does not work this year! This is not the mistake of the railway department, but ours.

If we wait for a train based on the timetable of last year, and don't see the train, we either blame the Railways, or we start saying that there is no such thing as a train that exists on the Planet Earth!

We are doing this same thing, many times, with the scriptures. We try to follow what the old scriptures say and when we do not see the results, we start blaming the system. Only the Hindu Rishis had the intelligence, to allow their future generations to amend their train schedule. All other systems have banned the very idea of amendments, the very idea of updating. Just by banning the idea of updating, they have destroyed their whole system.

Many religions have now become just like a corpse. If we have a corpse in our house, not only is it occupying unnecessary space in the house, but also it is dangerous to our health. Therefore, we need to immediately remove the corpse and bury it. If we do not do that, it will be dangerous for our health.

When we follow old books, which cannot be updated, it becomes very difficult to live a regular life, leave alone a spiritual life!

Only the Hindu Masters had the trust, courage and foresight to allow their scriptures to be updated.

l want to reiterate this: vou need trust in the disciples, trust in the next generations to allow them to comment on your words. It is only the Hindu Masters, who had so much of courage as to allow the disciples to comment on their words.

Actually if you see, every book of a Master is commented upon, by the disciples. The Brahma sutra, was written by Vyasa, Sankara commented on it, Sankara's disciple Sureshwara then wrote a Vaartika (glossary commentary on the work), then Sureshwara's disciple Athamananda wrote the Tika (note) and it went on and on, down the generations..

Of course, the Masters had the courage and trust to allow their disciples to update their words. You need to have tremendous courage and trust on your disciples: that they will understand the thread and the main message, that they will understand the core.

Spiritual Freedom is necessary for Spiritual Growth

Only in Hinduism, the idea of commenting is allowed. In no other system is this idea allowed.

In fact, in Hinduism, if a person does not comment on the three basic scriptures - Upanishads, Brahma sutra and Bhagwad Gita, he cannot even be called an Acharya (teacher). We cannot be called a teacher unless we have our own unique commentary. This qives us so much of freedom to think, so much of freedom to understand, so much freedom to preach what we experienced as the Truth.

Hinduism is the only reliaion, which gives so much of freedom.

There is a beautiful statement by Vivekananda, an enlightened Master, who lived in the last century. He says, 'freedom is the basic condition for any growth. In any field, if we want growth, we must be given freedom.'

The countries, which gave freedom in the line of science, have made tremendous procress in the field of science. The countries, which gave freedom in the field of medicine, have grown a lot in that field. Those countries which had great political freedom researched and experimented with all the political systems and created the best political structures.

In the West, people have so much social freedom that, every individual has complete freedom to choose the way he wishes to lead his life. Almost every individual is respected. Even though one might not have the intelligence to choose, one still has the freedom to choose.

Of course, the big danger is having freedom without intelligence. This is a very big danger! Many people come and ask me this, especially disciples who live around me all the time. Whenever I make a rule, whenever I say something, someone will come back and question me. The first thing I do is to relax the rule and give them complete freedom. Actually giving them freedom is the best punishment! Within a few days, they just come and fall at my feet: 'Master, please quide me, I do not want this freedom'!

When people do not have enough intelligence, and we just give them freedom, naturally they will be in a dilemma. That is the worst punishment. The West is facing that problem today. However, even though it faces problems of dilemma, freedom is worth having! The West has achieved this state because thev have social freedom.

In the same way the East has achieved spiritual freedom: they have achieved such highconscious experiences because they have had spiritual freedom.

In the East, nobody needs to follow any particular religious system. We can have our own God if we are not satisfied with the existing 33 crores (330 millions) of Gods, as the ancient scriptures say. I think that in the past, the population must have been 33 crores of people and each one must have had his own God; that is why there were 33 crores of Gods.

Now we may have to say that there are around 6 billion Gods, based on the current population. There must be 6 billion Gods, so that each one has his chosen deity.

The concept of chosen deity exists only in Hinduism. If we are not satisfied with all the existing Gods, we can create our own. We have the formula to create our own God or Ishta Devatha in Sanskrit. It is completely our choice. We are given all the possibilities; we can cook our own food; we can make our own rules; we can create our own path.

It is like this: A disciple goes to a Master and asks, 'Master, I have to cross this forest, please help me'. The Master replies, 'go 1100 ft, there will be a big snake, take a right turn, then go 200 ft where there will be a lion, take a left turn, go 3 ft and there will be a tiger, in another 4 ft there will be a forest fire, take a right turn and you will reach the other side'!

If the Master gives instructions like this to the disciple will he be able to cross the forest.

If the Master gives instructions based on the path that he himself had taken to cross the forest and based on what he saw years ago, will the disciple be able to cross the forest. No, because the tiger may not be there today, the forest fire may not be there today. We do not know.

Any clear-cut rule, any clear-cut guidance is always misguidance. All guidance is only misguidance. When we try to guide using standard rules according to our experience, please be very clear, we are misquiding people.

Instead of that, any intelligent Master will give us a torch, a burning torch, 'carry this torch and go, use your intelligence!' Just provide a person a way, using what he can see the route; give him techniques to protect himself from animals and then naturally the person will cross the forest.

All our scriptures are trying to do the second thing: they are trying to qive us a torch and the way to go beyond the obstacles. They never give details. This is actually a problem we are facing. When we do not have details or the understanding of what we are trying to cross and yet have so much freedom, we tend to abuse the freedom.

Crimes are nothing but abusing the freedom given to us. In developed countries, crime rate is high, because there is so much freedom. In under-developed countries, the crime rate is low, because of the lack of social freedom and people living like slaves. Just like how the crime rate is high in the countries with greater social freedom, in much the same way, people with greater spiritual freedom also abuse it.

Now, I am opening the truth completely in front of you. If you look deeply, you mav be a little confused about what exactly I want to convey through this discourse. Please understand: I do not want to convey any conclusion. I am just opening and presenting all the possible arguments and all the truths, so that you can come to your own conclusions.

I do not want to come to any conclusion in this discourse. I want to create a little confusion inside your Being. I want you to think and understand on your own, about the whole system.

Unless we are a little confused, we will never grow! As long as we have clear-cut, spoon feeding concepts; as long as we are given the concepts directly to swallow, we never internalize or we never start working on ourselves.

People come and tell me: 'Master, sometimes I really feel confused after reading all the books.' I tell them that means you have really read the books and understood. The purpose of the book is done!"

In the Bhagvad Gita, Krishna the enlightened Master, explains to his friend Arjuna, the gist of spiritual wisdom, the nature of the Atman (soul) and the different techniques to attain it. This dialoque happens through seventeen chapters. Yet, in the eighteenth chapter of the Gita, Ariuna says, 'O Krishna, now I feel more confused than I was before I started speaking to you. What have you done to me?' Krishna then says 'right, you have heard exactly what I wanted to say'.

A little bit of confusion, a little bit of doubt, a questioning attitude is the necessity for growth. That is why I am trying to present both the sides: the positive side of Smrithi and the negative side effects on our mind, when we approach it without enough maturity.

The Smrithi gives us recommendations and techniques that we can practice in our daily lives to reach the state described in the Smrithi gives us guidelines, yet enough spiritual freedom to explore and blaze our own path. That is the positive. Yet, when we do not have the mental maturity, when we do not underlying details, our mind can easily lead us astray, and we end up abusing the spiritual freedom that is given to us. That is the negative side of the mind, which I want to clarify.

Sruthi is Spirituality; Smrithi is Religion

Let me summarize:

The first thing is we have a set of literatures called Sruthi, which cannot be updated or changed, as they are the experience of the Masters.

The next thing: Smrithi is the literature, which can be updated according to the times. We can change a few statements; we can chanqe a few systems. Yet when it comes to the freedom, sometimes we tend to abuse that freedom without having enough intelligence to catch the thread.

The third is the idea, which we need to understand about religion and spirituality is Sruthi (the Upanishads) and religion is Smrithi (the day-to-day literatures). A concept exists and we write some books to explain the concept in daily life. These books are the Smrithi. These books are like the visualization of higher concepts.

In the main scriptures, the Sruthi, we speak about the Atman, the all-pervading, and the all-knowing, God or Divine or Energy. In the Puranas (the mythologies, the second-level literature, the Smrithi), we speak about how to implement those great truths in our day-to-day lives. The model personalities who followed these truths, the role models, are spoken about. Hero worship started in the Smrithis where our Masters created ideal personalities, like Krishna, Rama and Balarama (characters in Hindu mythologies).

The meta-physical experiences, when translated to the physical plane become mythological stories.

Let me qive you a small example to show how the meta-physical was translated to the material. When a Master experiences God-consciousness, the higher experience of awareness, he feels boundary-less, all pervading, ecstatic and blissful. When he feels this experience, he naturally tries to express it through words to his disciples, when they ask him.

He says, 'Oh! It's just like a thousand-petal lotus flowering or blossoming inside my being.'

Immediately the disciple misunderstands and begins to visualize, 'Oh, there is a thousand-petal lotus in the Master's head that iust blossoms or opens up. That is why he is having this experience!' Then he paints the picture of a thousand-petal lotus at the top of the head. This is how the concept of Sahasrara Chakra (one of the seven major chakras or subtle energy centers in the human body) happened. It is said that there is a thousand-petal lotus in the Sahasrara Chakra, at the crown of our head, and when our energy reaches there from the bottom of our spine, the lotus blooms and starts spreading the Anandha Gandha, the fragrance of bliss or joy.

Actually, if we open our heads and look in, we might not find a lotus; we might find only clay! The expression is not physical; it is meta-physical experience experience expressed in a different way, and when the disciple hears this, he visualizes it in a different way. A meta-physical experience conceived and understood or expressed in a physical way, becomes a mythological story, a Purana; it becomes Smrithi. It is not completely factual but it is the truth.

Understand; the Master experiencing the thousand-petal lotus flowering in his Being is not a fact but the truth. There is a very big difference between fact and truth. Fact is what we see with our two eves. In most cases, the truth filtered through our senses is observed as a fact. Truth is what we can perceive only with the third eve: truth is the third dimension of fact: truth is something more than fact. Usually the truth should be understood through our third eye.

If we try to analyze the truth with our limited vision of facts, we will miss the whole juice of it. That is why so-called logical people question our Puranas, again and again misunderstanding the words of our rishis. A big group of so-called logical thinkers are formed in our system, because they do not understand the difference between fact and truth. If we can understand the difference between fact and truth, we will understand why our religion was created, why our great Masters created the Puranas.

Some of the Puranas say things, to which we cannot logically relate. If one is a very logical person, one can never relate to the Puranas when taken as they are. However, why should an enlightened person, who has experienced the ultimate, say such an illogical thing? Why should he make a statement that does not suit our logic?

He makes the statement from the level of truth; we try to understand it from the level of facts.

That is why I always tell people, science and logic is vet to catch up with the mystics, Just because we are not able to catch up, we should never blame the mystics; we should never blame the experience of the Masters.

When the Masters make a statement like 'There are stars in the sky 24 hours of the day', it is not a lie. It is the truth! There are stars, but we may not be able to see them in the daytime because of the sunlight. Just because we are not able to see them, we cannot say that there are no stars. Just because we are not able to see the truth with our limited vision, we cannot doubt the truths declared by our Masters.

The logical person is yet to catch up with our Masters. If we are too factual, when we are too dependent on the experience of the five senses, we cannot accept that there are stars in the sky in the daytime also. Only if we use the right instruments, the right telescope can we see the stars in the daytime. In fact, if we go into a deep well and see the sky from inside the well, we will be able to see stars even in the daytime.

Of course, with the right instruments, with the right method, we will be able to experience what our Masters say. When we do not know the right method, we start blaming our Masters.

There is a very big difference between truth and facts. Facts are realized with a 120-degree vision, and truth is experienced with a 360-degree vision. For realizing the truth. we need a third eve; we need a higher sense, a higher awareness and a higher perception.

For example, when we read the Puranas, they explain extra-ordinary things like Hanuman lifting a whole hill and flying, or Krishna, as a small child, killing a huge snake. If we read with our logical mind, we will always find it illogical. We cannot believe a small child dancing on a snake and then killing it, we cannot believe a small monkey lifting a huge hill and flying off with it in his hands!

All these things look very illogical, but if we look deep, we can see that they are not just facts. These statements were made to qive the reader, the incident or to illustrate the power they had; in other words, the impact of the incident in reality.

Historians record Senses: Masters record Consciousness!

We need to understand one more thing. Usually, historians record only what has happened in the plane of vision; they record incidents in the plane of length, breadth and depth. What happened, according to their vision or understanding, is what is recorded. They can record only in the level of their vision, which is what we also see through our eyes.

However, when the Masters see, they see other dimensions as well. Thev see not only the length, breadth and depth but in terms of space and time also.

We need to understand this concept of space and time.

A small story:

An old man had gone to a nearby village for some business. He was returning to his own village and when he was a little distance away, he saw that his house was on fire. He started shouting, screaming, rolling on the ground and weeping, 'oh, my house is on fire...please help me, somebody help me put out this fire',

One of his sons ran towards him and told him. 'do not worry Father; we sold the house only two days ago.' Immediately, the old man got up and smiled. 'Oh, is that so? Then there is no problem,' and his demeanor became normal. Within ten minutes, another son ran to him and cried 'no no, father, it is true that we have sold the house, but we have not yet received the money for it!"

Again, the old man started rolling on the ground and wailing, 'oh, no! What am I to do with this fire, my house burning down? We have not even received the money.' Just then, his wife came to him and reported, 'no no, do not worry, we got the money this morning and it has already been deposited in the bank'.

Aqain, the old man stood up, stopped wailing and became normal.

Look into this incident carefully. The person is the same, the incident remains the same, yet we see two different reactions within a span of just ten minutes! Within the ten minutes, he suffers, then he consoles himself, then again he is suffers, then again he consoles himself. He undergoes different emotions, different moods but the underlying incident is the same.

If a historian records this incident, he will record only what happened in length, breadth and depth. He will record only one thing: what happened in the outer world. The house was on fire on this day and time. He can record only what has happened in length, breadth and depth.

Only a rishi, a person with a higher consciousness can see this incident in its whole. He will be able to record not only what happened in the length, breadth and depth dimension, but also what happened in the space; what happened in the consciousness of the owner; what happens in the space and time because of this incident; what is the impact of this incident on the man's consciousness.

We need to understand one important thing: we cannot just read the length, breadth and depth and decide history. History cannot be reduced just to the level of facts. We need to understand much more deeply - the impact of the incident on human consciousness. Only then can we really realize the truth.

All historians try their best to record incidents in terms of length, breadth and in the process, miss out recording their impact on human consciousness.

For instance, consider Mahatma Gandhi fasting against British rule, and a housewife fasting after a fight in the house. These two incidents cannot be the same. Gandhiji fasting for the country's freedom and a housewife fasting for her freedom cannot be the same! If a historian records these incidents, naturally he will record that Gandhiji fasted two days for the country. The homemaker fasted for two days for her needs. This is what the records will show.

If we make a factual recording, naturally we will record both the incidents in the same way. Any intelligent person will agree that both are not the same. The two incidents, the impact of the facts on space and time is very different. When we record a history or an incident, we need to consider not only the length, breadth and depth, but space and time also.

Our Puranas were written by the Masters, who could realize the impact of an incident on space and time also. That is the reason why in some places certain statements were made, which we think as illogical or an exaggeration. It is not really exaggerated. The statement was created for us to understand or realize the importance of that incident on human consciousness.

The incident of Hanuman lifting the Sanjeevani hill and flying may not be factual, as is described. He may not have lifted the huge hill, he may have lifted just a portion but the incident had a major impact on history. He was bringing the particular medicine to the battlefield and it was a timely help to Lakshmana (Lord Rama's brother), to get his life back. That incident has contributed a lot to history. To impress or to express the importance of the incident in space and time, to express the importance of the incident in human history, the Masters would have expressed it in the way they did. They would have painted a more glorious picture of the incident, than what actually was fact.

What we need to understand is the spirit, the thread behind the incident.

Now, I come to the main subject.

With this understanding, if we look at our religious practices, we can see how they are the embodiment or the expression of spirituality, how they are directly connected to spirituality. The religious scriptures, religious doctrines, religious rules and the religious way of life itself were created based only on this angle. These scriptures are the practical day-to-day manuals to live by and experience the great truths experienced by the great-enlightened rishis.

We need just this one understanding; how historians usually record only the length, breadth and depth and how our rishis have recorded length, breadth, depth, space and time. The way in which our rishis have recorded is holistic; they have not missed anything. Regular historians tend to miss a lot, and they have missed a lot! That is the reason all Western history is based only on the date and year and never on what the impact of an incident was on human consciousness.

In the East, we created Puranas, and in the West, they created history. History is superficial, just recording the incidents, without bothering about their impact. In the East, Masters have given more importance to the impact of specific incidents on humanity. That is why we say, if we want to know the history of the East, we just have to read the history of a handful of Enlightened Masters. Then we will come to know the complete history of the East. We cannot say that about the West, because historians did not bother about the impact of a particular person or incident on humanity.

In the East, Masters wrote history based not just on recording incidents, but also on their impact. Very big incidents might have happened on Planet Earth, but if these did not have much of an impact on consciousness, the people of the East would not have bothered to record them. There might have been very small incidents, which changed the way of thinking. These were recorded faithfully with a lot of importance given to them; some so-called exaggerations might also have been made, in some cases. Of course, when I say so-called exaggeration, I mean that we cannot analyze and criticize the incidents based on just our limited logic and understanding. We need to have the complete vision on why these statements were made.

We need to approach the whole of religion, all our rules and regulations, with the concept of why it was created. What did the Masters want to convey through these practices, through these rituals, through these customs? What did they want to express, what did they want to give us? What did our Masters want to tell us through these instructions?

If we have that much of respect, that much of understanding, that much of patience to look into it. with the question of what they wanted to convey, we will be able to understand, appreciate and follow the truth; follow the real thread, which is expressed through our religious practices. We will be able to receive the wisdom. We will be able to experience the truth expressed by our Masters. All we need is a little bit of compassion towards the teachings of our rishis. We need to have a little openness to the teachings of our rishis.

This one understanding; of length, breadth, depth and space and time, is all what we need to understand religion and spirituality. Usually, because we do not have this understanding, because we are unable to differentiate between facts and truth we confuse religion and spirituality. We mistake religion, as spirituality as religion and in the end. tend to condemn everything; tend to drop everything. Instead, if we look with understanding, we will be able to segregate, analyze, understand and experience the truth about which is spirituality and which is religion. We will be able to create our own methods, techniques and even our own religions to reach the spiritual experience.

With this one knowledge, our whole life can be transformed from contradictions into real spiritual experience. Without the understanding of fact and truth, religion and spirituality contradict each other. However, with this understanding of fact and truth, religion and spirituality complement each other. It is up to us whether we are in the contradicting plane or in the complementing plane.

Even though it is a little difficult, rather, you think it is a little difficult, contemplate on this great truth and your whole life will be transformed. All your questions will disappear.

This one understanding, this one truth will solve all our questions, almost all the questions we have on religion and spirituality.

Questions and Answers

• 1. You said that Smrithi is alterable and it changes with time. In the Bhagvad Gita, Krishna talks about the caste system, he talks about who can be a Brahmin, etc. However, in Bharat, we have so many problems with the caste system, so if Smrithi is properly interpreted, it should not give rise to any problems. Am I correct?'

It is an important question. Let us analyze this.

First thing: Our Smrithis, especially the Bhagvad Gita, state that caste is based on a person's mental setup and not by birth; not based on the yoni, but based on the Karma.

The very system is based on the mental setup of the person, not by birth.

So, why should the caste system have been created, even based on mental setup? Human beings cannot live without a community system. People need to feel they belong to some group. We cannot straightaway tell people to feel connected to the whole universe. That happens only after enlightenment. Until such time, they need to feel that they belong to a particular community.

Therefore, the Masters decided, 'let us create a community system based on which people will grow.' In Bharat, the community system was created based on wisdom and intelligence. It is intelligence, to which importance is given.

The person who worked for the sake of others' well-being, who did his work as a service, was called a Brahmin. Brahmins shared knowledge or wisdom. The person who worked out of fear, for protection, either of himself or of the people whom he thought of as his own, was a Kshatriya. The person who worked out of greed, to acquire more wealth was a Vaishya. The person who worked to serve all the other groups just to satisfy his own hunger, his thirst; working primarily for himself, was called a Sudra.

This is the way the Masters created the community system based on intelligence and not on birth. In the course of time, somehow, just like all truths, this truth too was lost.

One more thing, for any great experiment, any great innovation, if the next generation does not continue good research and development (R&D), the researches will end in failure. Some how, our R&D department was not too strong; it failed!

That is the reason we started associating ourselves with birth instead of the mental setup. At least, our community was created based on intelligence, but in other countries, they created communities based on money. One small example: get into the aircraft. When we cross the firstclass seats to go to the economy class, tell me how the first class passengers look at us? In just the same way that a fanatic, higher class person looks at a lower class person!

In every country, the community or caste system exists. Never say that only in Bharat does the caste system exist. Here at least we based it on intelligence. in other countries, it was based on money.

In Bharat, the whole importance goes to intelligence. If we want to be considered a higher person, we need to study. If we want the highest social respect, we need to renounce and we need to become intelligent. That is why in Tamil they say, 'thuravikku vaenthanum thurumbu', even a king will come and touch a sanyasi's (sage) feet, even though he has nothing. He has only one thing: his intelligence, his wisdom and he just shares it, with the world.

In Bharat, even if the community system has degraded, the original system was created based on intelligence, not money or power. Respect was given to the person carrying wisdom, the wealth of knowledge, not the outer world wealth. All other countries give respect to money or power; 'mightis-right' becomes the governing philosophy of all other systems.

If we see, in the social way, according to any other country's standard, I am a mere boy with nothing. However, if we see according to the Hindu standard, I am t respected, even worshipped. Even the top-level political people or business people worship me. Why should they? We are respected just because of the enlightenment, the wisdom or the service we are doing.

One more thing, just because the caste system is degraded now because of a few people, we cannot condemn the original system. Just because some mistakes happened at some point, we cannot condemn the whole system. The system has helped us in so many ways.

Now, it is time for the system to die.

Nevertheless, let us clear the system of its corruption, with respect and gratitude. Why should we continuously condemn and weaken ourselves? If someone has a tumor in his hand, let us do some surgery and take out the tumor, why should we kill the person himself? We somehow got the tumor; we have some misunderstanding, so let us now analyze and clear it and use the other parts. There is no need to condemn the whole system itself.

We need to look into all these things with a little more love and a little more compassion.

Please understand. It is only because one community associated themselves with the scriptures, that the scriptures are still alive. They were preserved just because one community took the responsibility for it. They gave up all the outwardly comforts, they gave up everything in the outer world, they dedicated all their time, energy and effort just to recite those scriptures and thus preserved the scriptures. Our scriptures are the oldest scriptures, preserved in an authentic way, without any system, without any other method to record, any other way to transmit, any other way to preserve but just by repeating and memorizing. Hundreds of thousands of slokas (verses), millions of aphorisms, have been preserved just because of the dedication of one community. Our system is not entirely wrong; just a few small corruptions have entered.

All that we need to do is some surgery for the tumor, not murder the system. When we have the attitude of murder, we not only will kill the system, but we also will be killing ourselves.

Even though we might not understand, we might not believe, we might not accept; we belong to that system. So, go for surgery and not for murder. That is the right attitude.

• 2. There are all these great ideals in spirituality. However, what bothers me is that I find a great divergence between the ideals and the daily life. To be quite honest, there is not only caste discrimination, but also a variety of other discriminations, such as the discrimination against poor people. When a house cleaner comes to work in the house and she is ten years old and is missing school, my heart aches. That will not happen in the West. I am not defending the West, but we need to be very cautious when we make statements about the West. Yes, ours is a great religion, and I have great love for it, but have we updated it? Have we moved with time? Whose responsibility is it to make sure we continuously update the religion as we go? I also find a great love for materialism, which is totally against the laws of Hinduism. It is not enough for spiritual ideals and great men like THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM to practice the religious ideals but it should be possible for the common man to practice it. How can we say that we do not have spiritual freedom in the East and we do not have spiritual freedom in the West? We need to look at what we mean by spiritual freedom.'

First thing regarding the statements that you made: are they your conclusions or your questions? If it is a question, I am here to answer; if it is your conclusion, then I have no right to answer.

You made a statement about the poor girl working and missing school. Please understand, just because of our religion much of the misery and suffering is avoided by our population. For our population, because of our religion, so much of misery is avoided!

Just look into the history of the West. Their population is ten times less, yet there is so much more violence. Our people are so silent, so beautiful, accepting the poverty, accepting the disease, accepting everything because of our spiritual background.

Bharat is in a much better condition. if we compare the quantity, the volume of the population. If we see all the basic things, we are doing much better compared to the West.

One other thing, you said I needed to be careful when I make comments. In the beginning I said very clearly, when I want to show the uniqueness or the extra-ordinariness of the culture, I have to compare a few things. Please do not feel hurt.

I have to say a few things when I represent the truth. I am not here to condemn anything, Nevertheless. I am here to show the truth as it is, to explain the facts as they are. I say repeatedly that whatever statements I made are the truth and fact! I am very clear and I reinforce the letter and spirit of the statements that I made in the whole discourse.

The next thing: in Bharat, we are able to handle so many problems only because even the common mass of Bharat follows the spiritual principles. Please, do not expect the mass of Bharat to become enlightened. I tell you one thing, go to any Hindu village, talk to a farmer and we will find that he knows much more spiritually, can talk much more spiritually and is more religious than any great professor of Philosophy from any other country. Only because they practice the religion, our people are not rebelling; they are not violent, even with so much of suppression, poverty and disease.

Just look into the life in the West. For instance, if somebody is homeless, do we go near him? We are afraid of him; we do not even lower our car window. We know he can harm us where as in Bharat, if a beggar comes, do we feel disturbed? Do we feel threatened?

In the West, I am advised, if a lower class person comes close, not to lower my window, that he may be violent. However, in Bharat, a homeless person is not violent. We cannot see violence associated with poverty. Poverty is not a sin in the Hindu constitution, in the Hindu system. Either we are handled with compassion or we are neglected. In all other systems, poverty is a sin. With poverty, one has no right to exist in society. If we look deep into the social systems we find that the gangsters, the homeless; they all continuously rebel against the rich people; they are continuously into terrorist activities. If we compare, on a per-individual basis, I do not think, in Bharat, we will see anything close to the scale that we see in other countries; it may be less than 1%.

This type of rebelliousness against the rich is far less in Bharat because of the spiritual ideas like karma; accepting their life, that the whole world is nothing, etc. All these concepts are infused into our system much more than in any other society. Poverty, in a way, is respected in our country especially when we come to the educated society; in many ways poverty and a simple way of life is respected.

In Bharat, when a beggar comes and stands near us, we either give him money or we neglect him. That is all. We do not disrespect him just because he is poor. If we did not give him any money, we actually feel a little quilt. Either we do something, or if not, we carry a little quilt, that we are not doing something we are supposed to do. Even that guilt is nothing but an offshoot of spirituality.

I do not think that in other countries this exists. In the West, we feel frightened, we feel threatened bv him. We disrespect the person because he is poor.

Another thing in Bharat is that whether we want it or not, whether we believe it or not, continuously, these types of ideas are put into our head, continuously we are made to listen to something about spirituality. If you see the number of people we handle, you can be sure that we have done a great job! I can applaud the job done by our people. I do not think any other country can handle such a variety of lanquages, such a variety of cultures.

For this population, no other country will be able to manage the peace; no other country will be able to manage the social setup.

I travel around the world continuously. In the last year, I have flown almost two hundred thousand miles. However, when I ao to different countries. I do not find the huge variety in any other country that I find in Bharat. The difference between Europe and America is much less than the difference between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu (neighboring states in Bharat), such a variety of languages, such a variety of clothes, and such a variety of food.

Bharat is able to exist as a country without any problems just because of the religious faith and structure.

Please be very clear, already we are doing a good iob. We do not have to think we have to go from bad to good. We have to go from good to better. It is enough that we have condemned ourselves for so long. It is time to stand up! We are not in a bad shape at all. In fact, we are in good shape, just need to get to a better shape! That is all, only from good to better, never from bad to good!

We have done a great job!

One more thing I want to mention: I tell you honestly; at least the main problems of caste system are not there in present-day Bharat. Enough of culture and acceptance has spread around the country. We should not speak about Bharat with the data that we collected about 30 years ago, from times before our people migrated to other countries.

Today, practically every village has an educational and medical facility, and has some understanding about life. Especially after the new way of life and social service began spreading around the country, helped by the post-Vivekananda movements that serve society. Bharat has surely gotten much better.

I do not want to go into minute details. Please go into this deeply and see. We do not even hear of many types of crimes. We hear of them only where the things have become westernized.

In Bharat, all the houses are open, children move around wherever they want. At least I have seen this in my village, I used to enter into any house and eat. With hardly a few hundred houses, I could enter into any house and eat because that is the way we lived. We cannot even imagine all these things in other countries. Whenever we hear about child abuse and other crimes, the number of cases is on a lesser scale compared to the volume of people.

The other thing is that only in areas where television and other western influences have entered do we see an increase in such crimes.

In the past and in the present, we have done a great job. Of course, we can do better, no doubt, but we do not have to feel worthless. Sometimes, our own guilt that we have not achieved what we wanted, is projected on society: we collect the data, which supports our quilt, and project a picture. If we stand on the platform of truth and analyze, it is always from good to better, not from bad to good.

You say that a ten-year-old girl is working. It is not only here, you can collect data from wherever you want and verify. I see so many Mexicans and other girls working in many houses in other countries. Of course, the age is a little higher, that is all!

In addition, you talk about education. Even after education, what do they do? So, why are there so many gangsters? Even the idea of a gangster does not exist in Bharat. In Bharat when a crime is committed, it is done so for the sake of some money or benefit. There are three kinds of crimes: crimes done for the benefit of the world, crimes done to have direct benefit by robbing the person, and crimes done for no reason other than the sake of enjoyment. I can say that the third level of crime is practically non-existent in Bharat.

We hear, in other countries of so many gangsters and about their crimes done just for the sake of enjoyment, like shooting on the highways! I have never heard of such crimes in Bharat. People shoot, people kill, but for some benefit, some reason. However, in other countries, I hear so much of the third-level crime. committed due to deep depression and rebellious consciousness. "Why should the other person have something while I don't?' In Bharat, people do not say 'Why should he have while I don't have?' Instead, they say, "how can I have?" The third level of crime is the Tamasic (indolence) kind and I can say this is practically absent in Bharat.

Another thing: we should never believe the western media projection of Bharat. The media also plays a major role in creating these misconceptions.

For nine years, I walked the length and breadth of Bharat without touching money. Actually, this experiment is called parivrajaka in Sanskrit. It is supposed to be done as a vow, by all spiritual teachers just to understand the common life of the country. You are given the rule that you should not touch any money; that you should not preserve food for the next meal. For nine years, I lived like this. I was a healthy young man and for nine years, I did not work for my clothes or for my shelter. I just claimed that I was meditating, doing research on inner science and I was qiven food, clothes and shelter, everything, with respect.

Where else do you think this can happen? In any other country, they would have asked me to work or they would have put me in a homeless shelter with disrespect. I was given everything; and not just in one place, not just in one village. I have walked from Kanyakumari to Tapovan, from the southern tip of Bharat to the north and from Akshardham to Ganga Sagar, from the west to the east. In every village, you do not know the respect that these people have, for our truths, for our spiritual practices. Above all, even if they are unable to practice it, they have tremendous respect for the people who do practice it. That in itself is a great thing!

When we have respect for someone who practices, naturally every year we may imbibe one truth at least, in our life.

The very respect for our hero will make us imbibe those qualities in our life. I have seen in some villages, especially in Gujarat (a state in north-west Bharat), there is so much of Bhakti (devotion). Once I was traveling from Akshardham (a town in Gujarat) and I stayed in a village. An elderly woman invited me to her house. I went and staved there. All the property she had was just a cow and a hut. She made her living from the cow's milk, by making curds and selling it. I stayed with her for 10 days. She had a small Krishna idol. She lived with that idol of Krishna for company; she talked to that Krishna, she practically lived with that Krishna. She would go out everyday to sell the milk, she would bring back the money and put it at Krishna's feet and would tell all her complaints to Krishna, 'today that person did not give me the money, today he cheated me, today I got more milk.' After 10 days, I told her that I was leaving to have darshan (worship) of Somnath (a Shiva Temple in Gujarat state in Bharat). She said, 'no, no, why are you leaving? I will not ask you to work, I will give you food all the time, please stay with me. You don't have to work'

See the love!

I became very emotional and said 'Ma, it is because of people like you that Bharat is alive.'

I know the backbone of Bharat. Do not speak from the superficial skin and sweat of Bharat, speak to me from the backbone! What we see from the western media is the sweat smell, not the backbone. I have seen this in every village, in every village, I walked through or sometimes rode through, using a bullock cart (cart drawn by bulls), covering almost 30,000 miles! So, I know the backbone. The media is sensational - they need sensations to show people. I can relate a thousand such incidents.

If you can quote one ten-year old working without going to school, I can quote millions of people who give education for other people who cannot afford it. You know. only in Bharat, the charitable education institutions give free education to so many people. More than 43% of education is given to people by religious charitable institutions. In no other country is this much of education qiven by the charitable institutions!

One thing to note when it comes to percentage is the quantity. Another country's 100% is Bharat's 5%! See the quantity. I know how many thousands of people are given free education in Bharat. At least in the last 50 years, we have done tremendous work. Especially the post-Vivekananda movements have done an enormous job. I am the very proof! How many houses are ready to give food? How many villages are ready to take care of the spiritual truths? Just because of this, this saffron cloth that I wear!

Moreover, remember: I can be a robber; I can be a thief. There can be so many possibilities because I am new to that village. We have media in the villages also; there are enough televisions and the people are aware of folks coming in different disquises and committing crimes. Nevertheless, beyond all these things, the spirit and culture are still alive.

Just a week ago, I was in the Himalayas. We saw thousands of sanyasis, just wandering as I had done: not caring about the next meal. These people, who are taken care of by society, are enough proof that we respect the religious ideals and that we follow religious ideals. We have done a great iob, if we see the size of the population.

After going all over the world, when I come back to my country, I just feel like touching that sand and putting it on my head. I feel so much of gratitude to the country in which I was born and brought up.

Let me tell you: when a premature child is born, we need an incubator to keep the baby healthy. Just like that, Bharat is a spiritual incubator. I tell you, the Hindu culture is a spiritual incubator. We may say there are one or two holes here and there but it is still a working, usable spiritual incubator.

Devotee: I just have a comment to make from Vivekananda's words: 'If only we can combine the spiritual wisdom of the East and the material wealth of the West. '

THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM:

Yes, I am all for progress but I am not for condemning!

Please be clear, we have not done anvthing wrong!

Please understand, only on a full moon day can we see the black patches on the moon. We cannot see the patches on a new moon day. By its own light, the moon shows its black patches. By its own qlory, Bharat shows its own problems.

Because we have the ideals of perfection, we understand and realize our problems. The moment we understand our problems, we prove that we are great; that is enough proof that we are intelligent.

Why do we say that we have the problem? We say that because we have the ideal of perfectionism! That itself shows we have done great things. The idea of perfectionism reaching a billion people is itself a great job!

Understand, even in the lowest slum, they celebrate Vinayaka Chathurthi and Durga Puja (festivals in honor of Hindu Gods). They may not know the spiritual ideal of Vinayaka (a Hindu God), but they know that there is some energy greater than us, so they have simple rules like, we need to bow down to that energy, we should do this, we should not do that, etc. Reaching even the most diluted and lowest morality or an idea, to a billion people, is not a joke. That itself is a big job! Understand that that itself is a big job!

When I was in Brazil, a priest came to meet me. He was a Catholic from Bharat. I asked him, Father, how are you here? He said, 'Master, any religion, if it wants to flourish, has to come only to Bharat. If they want workers, they have to come only to Bharat. Whether its Christianity or Hinduism, we have to get them only from Bharat! Brazil has a very big representation of Catholics, but no one becomes a monk. Nobody takes up the spiritual life. Therefore, Rio de Janeiro has only 3 native Catholic monks and 33 Christian priests from Kerala (an Bharat, the spiritual life is in our blood.'

Whether it is Krishna or Siva or Christ, living the spiritual life is a basic thing. It is in the blood of the population all across the country! That alone shows we have done a big job.

I have seen this in many countries, not only in Brazil. Fulltime dedicated people; the monks or the spiritual servants are from Bharat.

Another thing is that in London, churchgoers are 2% and in Bharat 93% of Christians go to church! Even other religious systems are stronger in Bharat because the very understanding of following a higher life is in our blood. Hindu Christians are more dedicated to their beliefs. Whatever our people believe in spiritually, they are dedicated to that. If we penetrate and see the root, we will see that our ancient Masters have done a tremendous job.

When compared to the volume of people that we are handling, whatever service we do, it is like mixing asafoetida (a pungent Hindu spice) in the ocean.

Somebody asked me once, 'Master, You think You can change the country by just Your service? Whatever You do, it is just like mixing asafoetida in the ocean. The smell of the ocean is not going to change. How do you think You can help the whole world?'

I told him: 'I do not know if I can change the whole ocean or not, but I am sure my hand smells beautiful. I am enjoying that, nothing else can be done.'

THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM!!

Thank vou.

Temples - The Repositories of Spiritual Truths

Why do we need Temples? Were temples relevant only for olden cultures and were they ignorant and less sophisticated than the modern scientific cultures or is it the other way around? What were our ancestors thinking and were they more intelligent and in tune with subtler energies than the modern culture? Are Temples relevant now?

From time immemorial, not only Hindus or Rishi, but cultures from all over the world in all traditions have been creating space for the Divine as part of their culture and lives. Researchers say that even animals living in groups, allot a specific area for rest which is not used for eating or anything else. Hindu culture created huge temples for communities as a means for relating with the Divine. Every village in Bharat has a temple making one wonder why these huge structures were created, even if the homes in most villages were made of mud. Most of these temples are constructed in granite and are sometimes more expensive than the cost of all houses in these villages. What did we gain spiritually, culturally and socially from these huge structures?

Scientific studies were conducted by a scientist Dr.Rudolf, who stayed in the Amazon along with a group of tribes for over 30 years to research the tribes' lifestyle. These tribes believed that by creating an image of a particular person and by invoking that person's energy into the clay image they could heal or transmit any disease of that person, even if the person lived thousands of miles away. This scientist published papers and a book named 'Hidden Mysteries' and produced ample proof, evidence and case studies in which he reported that in 98% of observations, three things were evident. First conclusion was that they were truly able to heal people of any disease, secondly, they were able to heal even animals & trees -by making clay models of those trees and by making vibrations or sounds they could bring the dead tree to life and thirdly, they were even able to handle energies of dead human beings or talk and relate to them continuously. In most cases they could bring a dead person to life within three days.

If this tribe related to ordinary persons through a clay image why is it mysterious or strange to relate with the Divine energy that envelopes us and has created the whole Universe. This is where our ancestors succeeded in giant leaps. It is a common mistake to think that Hindus worship idols. In Hinduism, there is no idol worship, but only worship through idols. There is a big difference between idol worship and worshipping through an idol. When idols are created out of stone, clay, marble or any other material you would not find one saying 'Ok stone give me a boon' or 'Ok marble heal me', instead you would find them saying 'Oh Shiva, heal me, bless me' or 'Oh Devi, bless me'.

lanorance sets in with great speed when there is a rush to imitate what seems like another glamorous culture or so called scientific cultures and more so, when there is no clear knowledge or patience in understanding of the original cultural practice. Some of the western scholars translated Vedas - just to prove there is nothing worthy in it. Max Mueller translated the Vedas and in one of his letters to his Mother, he mentions with deep disrespect, that he did this just to prove there is nothing worthy in it. Many Eastern scholars have also picked up the same trend, same thinking style and started condemning the Hindu worship, culture and the way of life, and started giving more importance to Advaitic philosophy without understanding that it not just one philosophy, but the whole Vedanta itself is a clear and practical essence or juice of the fascinating facts of spiritual science discovered and recorded by the rishis, saints and mystics.

A scientist is a person who creates a formula to recreate the same experience he has in the outer world. He is able to reproduce this experience of the outer world in others. The one who is able to reproduce an experience which happens in the inner world is a mystic. These temples, rituals, poojas, homas, etc are formulas created by our rishis to reproduce those inner world experiences in other beings. Misunderstanding or not understanding or not practicing these formulas due to lack of patience, guidance and knowledge does not make it untrue. Before understanding any of these formulas it is interesting to note a recent research conducted by a Japanese scientist who has published a book named 'Messages from water', also widely popular due to the movie 'What the bleep do we know..'. He conducted more than 300 experiments where he has proved that water can hold, radiate and respond to our thoughts further proving how thoughts directly affect us human beings who are composed of 71% water.

Rishis, not only proved that water could carry thoughts and vibrations, but the whole Universe is constituted of thoughts and energy vibrations. It is alive and bubbling with our thoughts and emotions. Even Einstein says there is no such thing as matter and energy separately with boundaries between the two and that the whole Universe is energy. The last statement of science and quantum physics saying that everything is energy, is the first statement of the first Veda of the first Upanishad. "Isha vashyam idam sarvam" meaning, whatever exists is energy.

Our seers have created so many methods and techniques to hold and radiate cosmic energy so that humanity can be helped by this positive energy. This whole universal energy is symbolically constituted of five elements namely ether, air, water, fire and earth. They have tired to install the energy first in the earth element in stone idols or 'moorthis',(idols) secondly in water or 'tirthas' (every temple has a tank or river); thirdly in fire or 'agni' in the form of at least one lamp which is never put off; fourthly in air which is filled with vibrations of mantras so that the very air vibrates with energy and finally in ether or space. These temple architectures are created in a dome structure to hold energy like a battery. If a bolt of lightning could be stored in a battery, we could supply electricity for more than one year for any big city. These temples are created to hold enormous energy, so that when enlightened masters come, they would install their energy in these structures. Our masters have designed beautiful batteries in the form of temples that can hold this energy and radiate it to help millions of people for thousands of years. It is because of the concentrated energy in the central dome structure or 'garbha mandir' that our prayers become a reality.

The science behind realization of prayers can be explained with an example – anything kept in front of a projector light, will be seen in the screen. If you keep a slide of a temple scene you will see the temple. If you keep a slide of an actor or actress you will see their image. In the same manner, any thought kept in front of concentrated energy, will become a reality. The garbha mandirs of temples hold high, intense potential energies created by enlightened masters and maintained by reqular poojas and mantras. Continuous repetition of mantras charges the whole space and keeps it alive. When you stand in front of this energized moorthi or space and create a thought or wish, your whole body and mind will be tuned to that thought and so naturally it will become a reality in your life. In the temples in the energized space, two things will happen, you will have shakti or energy to make your dreams into reality, next you will have buddhi or intelligence to realize that what you see or think as reality itself is a dream. Enlightened masters designed these temples because they wanted some space which could continuously heal, inspire and give the humanity an experience of spirituality.

The energizing process of these temples itself is one of the most fascinating aspect of our spiritual sciences. According to Taitriya Upanishad:

• from 'ākāśa' or ether came air or 'vāyu'
• from 'vāyu' came fire or 'agni'
• from 'agni' came water
• from water came the earth and finally everything else.

In this manner the energy is harnessed. It is understood that this cosmic energy exists beyond ether, beyond space, as ātman or ātma shakti.

Through visualization or meditation this energy is brought to 'ākāśa shakti' or ether or space.

• From ether through verbalization or mantras it is brought to the air
• Through fire rituals such as 'homas' it is brought to the fire
• From the fire to the 'kumbha' or water
• And finally this energy is installed in the 'bimba' or moorthi or vigraha inside the 'garbha mandir'.

When the 'prāna pratishta' or energy is installed in the idol, it is no longer an idol, it becomes a deity or 'archavatara' with different incarnations of God. The Upanishads beautifully explain how the 'brahmānda' expresses itself in form of 'pindānda' through the idols. This cosmic energy radiates itself, making itself available to us through these idols, statues or vigrahas. One can derive enormous benefits by understanding this science.

ldols are the windows through which you can see and relate with the vast sky or 'Brahmānda'. For example, if someone with a cell-phone stated to an entire culture which had no idea about phones, that he could speak to people on the other side of the world with a tiny device or instrument they would not believe it. If he were to prove that he is able to talk, then he would become a great saint and worshipped and respected. This is exactly what happened with saints and eastern cultures too. Temples are cell phones, in those days everyone was able to relate to the Brahmānda through these structures. But in modern times with the cultural invasion, ignorance has led to strong disbeliefs and misuse of such powerful resources to the wonders of the Universal energy. Now only a few are able to operate these cell phones and the younger generation is not able to believe that these cell phones actually work. Secondly if at all you saw some proof of a person using it, then you would make him a saint and call him a great saint and enlightened person. These cell phones work and it is very easy. It is for common man and common public - for all of us.

Just because we lost a few keys, we cannot say that this lock will never open. Just because we lost a few techniques, we cannot say our ancestors are fools for building these huge structures. These ancestors were highly intelligent beings who designed and created these temples for the benefit of humanity. We seem to have lost the technique or methods to use them in our day to day life. This does not mean that our original system itself is useless. It is much more important than any other comforts to rejuvenate your self. Temples have played a major role in keeping the social structure alive. Hinduism, is alive as a community or country just because of these temples and it is these temples, which keep our whole culture alive despite endless invasions. There is no culture or civilization that did not invade Bharat and there is no culture or civilization that was invaded by Bharat. It has survived with its roots for more than 10,000 years of recorded history. In modern day, societies and civilizations that are just a few 100 years old, are shaking with younger generations questioning and rebelling and are laden with confusion and depression.

These temples were broken and destroved repeatedly. but they continued to come up and stand in a much more beautiful way every time. For example, the Vishwanath temple was destroyed more than fourteen times and Somanath temple was destroyed more than seventy times. All major temples of Bharat were destroyed at least ten times, but they stand up again, because they are more -than physical structures - they are like satellite relay centers where the high intense spiritual energy is created. These spiritual vibrations are created and sent all over the world to help human beings to heal them physically, mentally, emotionally and above all spiritually. It is we who are supposed to understand the science behind and take the responsibility to learn how to tune ourselves and relate with this higher energy to derive the benefit from this higher energy. It is we who are supposed to discover the keys to unlock this lock and experience the inner treasures and it is we who should know the contact number to activate this cell phone.

Meditation is the key to unlock this door and experience the inner treasure. Meditation is the number through which you can activate and relate with this higher energy. Meditation is the master key to relate to higher energy which is also available to us in the form of moorthies or deities to see and experience the Brahmānda, or the cosmic energy to have all the physical, mental and emotional benefits. Practical techniques have been handed over passionately by the intelligent seers to tune ourselves into this cosmic energy. It is our responsibility to see how religion is relevant to spirituality. Day to day practice of religion can be made into spirituality. When done with awareness, any ritual can become a meditation technique and without awareness any meditation can become a ritual. There are beautiful ways how we could make spirituality into religion and how we should make religion into spirituality.

RITES AND RITUALS

I welcome you all with my love and respects. ```

Let us completely analyze this topic Rites and Rituals, an updated understanding. Let us look deeply into why the rituals are created.

In ancient times, meditation techniques were used by Masters to feel the connection with the divine, in them selves. Over the course of time, the meaning of these meditation tech niques was lost. When a meditation method i.e. physical action, with out the idea or philosophy behind the technique was transmitted, those meditation techniques became rituals.

When a ritual is conducted with full understanding and consciousness, then that ritual becomes a meditation technique. There is no difference between a meditation technique and a ritual when done with full understanding and consciousness. Both the techniques can directly put you in-tune with the ultimate energy.

VARIOUS RITUALS:

There are so many different kinds of rites and rituals. I think Hindu religion has a few million rituals. Please understand, it is not a few thousands, or a few hundred thousands but it is a few millions. There are so many different types of mudras (special finger postures), homas (prayer done with fire), and poojas (special way of worship) existing in Hindu culture.

The whole of existence is made up of five elements. We can relate with existence through any of these five elements. When we relate to the cosmic energy through stone or metal idol, it is known as pooia. When we relate with the cosmic energy through water, by taking bath in a river or pond, it is known as thirda snana (bath taken in holv water). When cosmic energy is related through fire, it is called homa. Cosmic energy related through air element by chanting of sounds is mantra japa and when we fall in-tune with the cosmic energy through ether, it is Meditation.

Rituals can be classified mainly as rituals done for human beings and rituals done for the gods.

The rituals done for human beings are many, right from the time of birth until death. There are rituals observed when a baby is born, when it is qiven a name, when we qive food to the baby for first time, which is called as anna prasanna . There are rituals for marriage and death. These are one set of rituals.

Rituals for God:

In the other set of rituals done for gods, we invoke their presence. We invoke their presence in temples and at home, by doing poojas and homas. There are many times when we invoke God's presence.

Pooja is nothing but receiving the quest (God) with all the respects. Actually, what priests do in temples is nothing but that: receiving the quest, the God with all the respects. When a quest comes to our home, for e.g. when a very elderly person visits us we receive him with all due respect. We offer him a chair, give him water to wash his hands. We ask him if he wants to go to bathroom, offer refreshments.

The traditional way of receiving a guest was in this way. The offering of a chair is Asanam Samarpayami; we offer a chair to the quest. Then we ask him do you want to use the bathroom. This offer of bathroom is Vadyam Samarpayami. We offer water to wash his feet. When we offer little flowers to the quest, it is Argyam Samarpayami. After the flowers are offered, naturally we arrange for his bath and comfortable stay. That is s Snanam Samarpayami. Then naturally we ask him to eat, the offered food is Nivadvam Samarpavami. Then betel nut is offered, which is called Thambulam Samarpayami. Then in the end of the day we show the quest to his bed and wish him a good night's sleep.

The same thing happens when we do pooja. This is the reason why pooja is seva (service) in the Hindu system. It is serving the lord or serving the deity.

We need to understand the concept of serving. For logic-centered people it is very difficult to understand that energy can be alive in one stone and that we can serve that energy continuously. day in and day out. Serving living energy inside an idol is a very difficult concept to understand. However, I have seen people really feel that devotion through the service and not only feeling but also expressing that devotional feeling; in the physical world, in the physical form.

Ramakrishna and Kali:

When Ramakrishna (an enlightened Master of Bharat) used to perform poojas, some times would doubt; 'Is Devi (Goddess) really accepting my Pooja or am I just wasting my time'. He would draw a thread from his clothes, keep it around her nose, to see if she was breathing or not! He achieved the peak, the ultimate experience, just through rituals.

Let me narrate an incident to you.

If at all, you get a chance you must go to Calcutta, and see the Kali (Goddess) temple where Ramakrishna did poojas. People are allowed to go very close to the deity. In north Hindu temples people can go near the deity, and in almost all the temples, they can even touch the deity. Whereas, in the South people are not allowed to touch the deity as they are covered with gold and silver jewelry. In the North, not only can we go very close to the deity and touch them but also in some temples, we can even do the pooja by our self.

In Calcutta's famous Kali temple, do not miss one important thing: Goddess Kali with four bangles. Let me narrate the incident, and then you will understand. In Calcutta, devotees habitually offer konch (a type of metal) bangles to deities, bangles made of konch.

A devotee bought four banqles for Devi (another name for Kali). The Kali idol has four arms. On the right side, the hands are in the Abhaya (Assurance) and Varada pose. On the left side, Devi holds a sword with one hand and the head of an asura (Demon) with the other. The sword is removable so Ramakrishna was able to slip the bangles on over that hand and the other two hands but he could not put the bangle on the hand holding the Asura's head as there was no way a bangle could be slipped on to it.

A priest asked Ramakrishna why he was not able to put the bangle on to the fourth hand. He replied that the hand had the Munda (head of a demon) attached to it and there was no way of putting the bangle on. The priest said, 'You are a great devotee, why don't you request Devi to open her hand and then you can slip the bangle on'. Ramakrishna, very sincere and very devout, asked the Mother to allow him to put the bangle on her. She dropped the head; Ramakrishna put the banqle on and qave her back the demon's head to hold!

Neither was the idol broken nor was the bangle broken! The bangle is still there today, on Devi's wrist. You will be surprised to see a banqle on the fourse still; I am not able to understand, even after seeing the deity for myself. I can only believe, respect, do namaskar (worship) and come out. If you go to Calcutta, do not miss seeing this. At the time I went to the temple, I was in a famous ashram so I went there as an ashramite, Therefore, I was allowed to touch the bangle and look at it. Not only did I touch the bangle: I also completely rotated it to see whether it was broken at any point. I inspected it carefully, to see whether Ramakrishna had broken the bangle and had then stuck it together, after slipping it on to the wrist. I can tell you this; the bangle is a complete whole, it is not broken and the idol too is whole.

It is certainly very difficult to believe. It is not a 300 or 400-year-old incident. It happened just 130 years ago. In 1886, Ramakrishna passed away, so it is only about a130 years ago that this happened! I do not know how, there is no logical explanation, but the truth is there for all to see. All we know is that the power of the mind is such that devotion can express itself, physically. If we have a darshan (vision) of Devi. or if we feel that Devi is here such things are subjective. We cannot prove them physically; it is such an individual subjective experience. Nevertheless, in Ramakrishna's case, his devotion towards Devi was expressed physically in a miraculous event.

We have heard many such stories, like for instance, Udupi (a temple town in South Bharat) Krishna's statue turned around for the sake of Kanakadasa, a devotee, or the case of Vittala, who stood, waiting on a brick, for the sake of his devotee. We hear many such stories but Ramakrishna's incident is something that happened in the recent past and I have seen the bangle with my own eyes. Very difficult to believe, but it is there.

He had reached the peak state just by rituals. Vivekananda says beautifully, 'if we can create one Ramakrishna, not one idol but have thousands of idols and start doing rituals.' Start doing rituals. There are so many other experiences of Ramakrishna, related to these rituals, but this one incident is enough to explain the power behind rituals. Physically he was able to alter the whole structure; physically he was able to command, the Murthy or deity, out of his devotion, out of his power. Not only this incident; there are so many other incidents that have proved the power of devotion and rituals.

Once, Ramakrishna requested a nearby hibiscus plant to bear its flowers in two colors. His devotion, through pooja, resulted in two different colored hibiscus flowers blossoming from the same branch! Like this, there are so many incidents where he was able to command, through the power of meditation or the power of mind, to produce many miracles. When we do the rituals intenselv, we completely fall in tune with that energy, with that Murthy and the Divine just listens to us.

There are many incidents attached to Madurai (a famous temple town in South Bharat).

A great, enlightened Master lived in Madurai temple has eight huge, beautifully carved stone elephants in the Garba Mandir (main temple). Actually, the story is about these eight elephants holding up the Garba Mandir or the Madurai temple. The Nawab (king) of Madurai made fun of the statues, when he visited the place. The Nawab said. What is this? Why are these elephants standing here unnecessarily?' The Nawab made the comment casually. Then the Master replied, 'do not think they are stone. They are living elephants. They are here to serve the Chukkanadha (deity in the Madurai temple).' The Nawab laughed with disbelief and said. 'What are you talking?' Then the enlightened master offered sugar cane sticks to the elephants, and the story goes to say that the elephants ate the sugar cane!

All our pooia, is nothing but receiving, respecting and serving the Deity. That is why we call it as seva or serving. Ramakrishna says, 'When I fan the mother, I feel that she is experiencing the cool air', He said he could clearly see that she was experiencing the cool air and some times, he would say he could even see her very clearly, adjusting her sari. Like this, so many beautiful experiences have happened in Ramakrishna's life.

All rituals performed for the Gods are of one type. The type of rituals performed for human beings are of another kind. Especially the Pitru Darpana (ritual done when parents pass away) is one of the most important rituals. The Pitru Darpana is done, to give a beautiful farewell to the soul or to release the soul from earthly the bondage.

The Death Process:

Let me describe the whole scene of what happens, when a person dies.

First, his soul leaves the physical body and it moves to the subtle body, the sukshma sarira. In the sukshma sarira it stays for three kshanas (unit of time as per Hindu Scriptures). When I say kshana, I do not mean seconds. According to the Vedas (sacred Hindu Scriptures), time is not calculated chronologically, it is calculated psychologically. A kshana is the gap between one thought and another thought.

If we live a peaceful life, our kshana can be a hundred years as per chronological time. If we have lived a restless life, your kshana is not even a micro second. less than a microsecond. That is the reason people who live peaceful lives have peaceful deaths, because they are allowed to stay only for three kshanas in the subtle body.

The length of three kshanas is decided, based on ones life. How you live your life and how long you can manaqe with out having thoughts are important factors in deciding the kshana length. Kshana means gap between one thought and another thought. In the Vedic system, we measure time in a very different way.

Concept of Time:

Let me explain the concept of time. For example, if you are sitting with you friend whom you like very much, whom you love, whom you feel in tune with, even if four to five hours pass, sitting with him. you will not even know you have spent so much time with him. Suddenly you realize, 'oh. four to five hours have passed and I don't know how the time has passed!' On the other hand. if you are sitting with a person who is boring and torturing you, you tend to feel tired and every ten minutes will have you glancing at your watch, wondering why time is not moving!

Do you see what is happening? Actually, time is more psychological than chronological. If you are in a state of bliss. if you are here, and now in the present, you will not know how time passes.

If we are restless, if we are continuously moving from the past to the future and future to the past, time will never move for you. That is why, it is said that, one full year for us is one day for the Devatas (demigods), because they are in a higher consciousness hence they have less number of thoughts per second. The number of thoughts are less for them as they are in a more joyous and peaceful state.

That is why time iust flies for them. One vear for us is one day for the Devatas. In Nataraja (Lord Shiva) temples, only six poojas are done in a year. This is because they follow the calendar of the Devatas and not of the human beings.

When the number of thoughts comes down, time just flies. If you are more restless, time does not move; time seems to stand still for you. For people who are in hell, our one day is equal to one full year for them. That is why hell is called eternal hell. Hell is always used with the word eternal; hell is not eternal, but it feels like eternity because time never moves. You are continuously waiting but time never moves, there is too much of restlessness.

Heaven or hell is actually based only on your state of mind. If you have less number of thoughts, you are already in heaven. If you are very restless, if you have too many thoughts, then you are already in hell. It is not that we ao to hell or we go to heaven after we die. We carry heaven or hell with us when we are alive. Be very clear, we do not go to heaven or hell; we carry it with us here, wherever we qo, we carry our tent, open it and stay in it.

Next Life:

When a person dies, he stays in the sukshma sarira for three kshanas. If we have lived a restless life, we will stay in subtle body for three microseconds. In those three microseconds, we will not have enough time to choose our next birth and will just choose the next birth in a haphazard way; based on whatever thought that comes to our mind. If we have lived a peaceful life, we will have time to look into our complete samskaras (engraved memories) structure; we will be able to see how we lived our whole life. One more thing, the moment you leave the body you will have the capacity or energy to see your complete life.

If you have lived a peaceful life, you will be able to have a complete overview of your sixty or seventy year life span. If you had lived in the body peacefully, you will be able to see the whole structure of your life. You will be able to see the whole life and then, you can decide whether to take a human body or stay with out a body, become enlightened, relax and liberate your self or take any other type of janma (another birth cycle). You will be able to choose because you have the freedom; you are relaxed.

I always tell people, live peacefully, do not be on the run continuously. If you are running continuously, running for material gains, you will not get any VIP seat when you leave the body. Again, you will be running; whichever train comes along, you will be put onto that and sent back to planet earth. You will not be able to stay there. If you have lived peacefully, you will be able to relax: you will be able to stay in the subtle body for a longer time. which will enable you to choose right birth.

There are many reminiscences of Masters. They wait, even for three hundred to four hundred vears, to take the right body. They wait for the right parents and the right place. If you have lived peacefully, you can wait and choose your parents, the place and the time to take birth, the right body and the right social setup.

If we live in a restless way, naturally we will not be able to wait for the right body. In addition, if we have lived a restless life, we are in continuous need and we depend on body and mind. Our dependency on the body and mind is what restlessness is; we are very dependent on our body and mind when restless. So naturally, we cannot be with out the body and mind. After death, we take a body randomly: we do not bother. We are not interested in waiting and think 'let me have some body first, later on I will think about other things; first let me catch a body.' Then we get onto the first train that comes by, whichever it might be and start the journey of our next life.

If you have lived a deep and peaceful life, you can wait and choose the next body and take birth according to your decision.

Death Rituals:

Katopanishad (Hindu scripture) beautifully explains the whole process of death: how we leave the body, how we can choose the next body and how we miss the opportunity to choose. That is the reason when a person dies we always repeat the katopanishad , sitting next to the dead body. Even at the time of shradda (ritual performed at the time of death), the katopanishad is repeated. These last rites are performed to liberate the soul and give a good fare well.

Actually, if you are continuously bothered or worried about the dead person's soul also cannot continue its journev. Hence we bid farewell to that person by saying 'yes you lived with us, it was really great. Now this is the time for you to carry on your life. Even though we are not able to digest it, we respect your decision. We are here just to respect you, just to support you in your journey.' It is a good farewell and positive farewell that we give to the departed soul, to enable that soul to continue on its journey.

In every ritual, again and again, Rishis (Masters) have imparted their knowledge to us. Moreover, the Rishis, our Masters, made use of every single opportunity to impart the truths to us. They did not miss a single opportunity. Therefore, whether it is birth or death, naming ceremony or marriage, in every step that knowledge, the wisdom about life they gave us, is contained.

Marriage Rituals:

The other day I mentioned that in Sanskrit there is no equivalent word for divorce. The word for divorce does not exist because the very concept of divorce does not exist in our system.

In sapthapadhi (the seven steps taken by the couple, around the holy fire), when we take the vows of marriage, we decide to be together until the end of life or until death. Couples can separate only if wife or husband takes sanyas (renouncing life). There are only two ways by which married couples can separate themselves, either death or sanyas. No other way, no other permission or no other possibility exists for separation after marriage.

There is a beautiful sloka (stanza), one of many, chanted at the time of marriage. In the Vedic system, we use this mantra to bless the couple; it is actually a sloka from tantra sastra (branch of Mysticism). The sloka says in the eleventh vear of marriage; at the end of eleventh year. Iet the wife become a mother to her husband and let the husband become a son to her. A new dimension to the relationship emerges. The wife is asked and blessed, to become the mother and the husband, to become a son. This blessing is a very strange thing and very difficult to understand. How can a wife become a mother? Actually, if a real love happens or real intimacy happens, women reach the state of a mother. She flowers in to motherliness.

There are more, deeper concepts, which the tantra shastra explains, how when a woman reaches the depth of love she becomes more motherly. more like a Devi (Goddess). That is reason why in the east, women are always respected and recognized in the nature of a mother. She is respected more as a mother, because we respect the motherly dimension of women. Only when a woman reaches that dimension does she express her fulfillment.

These are beautiful lines, asking the woman to reach the state of a mother and man to reach the state of a child. The man needs to come back to the stage of innocence; he needs to achieve his innocence just as the wife needs to achieve the motherhood, which is the purpose of whole concept of marriage.

Gurukula System:

Let me explain the Gurukula (educational system of the Vedic tradition) system.

At the age of seven, we are initiated with the Gayathri Mantra (a powerful chant). From age seven to fourteen, we have to work and continuously practice the mantra. By the age of fourteen, if we achieve the first experience of consciousness or divine, we study the Brahma sutra; the training for sanyas, training for a spiritual life. If we have not achieved the first divine experience then we are asked to study the Kama sutra, from the age 14 to 21. From age 14 to 21, those who have achieved the divine experience are asked to study the Brahma sutra; others continue studying the Kama sutra.

The sishyas (pupil) studying the Kama sutra will then go on into the life of a gruhasta (householder), the gruhasta dharma. The sishyas studying the Brahma sutra will be 21 by the time they finish it. They are expected to achieve enlightenment. If they have achieved enlightenment, they get the status of a sanyas and lead a sanyasi's life. If they do not achieve enlightenment by the age of 21, then they are asked to study the yoga sufra and continue with spiritual practice.

The Gurukula structure was created in such a way that the system quided each person on the path to move on. based on their interest. Neither did the sanvas think he was not suited for his life nor did the person living as a gruhasta feel he was missing something. Each person lived in his own way, following his own path.

Gruhastas are given another chance to take up sanyas or spiritual life, any time after ten years of leading the life of a householder. If they want to enter into the spiritual life full time, if the family agrees then they can take an initiation called Vanaprashta dharma, which is living towards eternal life. Vanaprashta dharma is not sanyas, it is living towards eternal life. After the vanaprashta life, they can decide to take sanyas. Once a person takes sanyasa, he starts the Gurukula or university for the next generation. This is the way the system of the Gurukula structure.

There are so many remarkable lessons that exist in our rites and rituals, which we can explore if we have interest. If we qo deep into it, it is a big science, an ocean by itself, an endless ocean to explore.

I think it is time for me to stop now. I will answer your questions. I do not think I will be able explain all the rituals and rites, it is a big ocean. However, what ever you ask, those few things I will try to explain. You can ask any question about rites or any rituals. I will try to explain, in whatever way I understand. You are welcome to put forward your questions on this subject.

1. When we do the final rites, people say if you go to Badrinadh (holy city in Bharat) and do the Darpana (ritual for death of a parent), then we do not have to do any more rites?

Actually. Badrinadh is like a center through which you can relate to Pitru Loka (Parent's abode). It is like a runway where you can take off and you can relate with the Pitru loka. It is true that Darpana, when done in Badrinadh, is very powerful. One more thing, which I want you to understand is that continuously doing darpana, whether it does good for the parents or not, does good for you.

Let me describe how it helps you. Until the end of your life, some part of your energy, some portion of your energy represents your father and mother. In later studies, they say if your father or mother dies at a very young age, there is more chance for you to have a paralysis stroke. This is because part of your energy is disturbed and the other part of your being is a gift. By doing the Pinda darpana or Shradda reqularly, you make that part of the energy, that portion peaceful; you invoke peace in that area.

We do not know whether it does good to them or not, but it certainly does qood to you. Please do not miss out the traditional Pinda or Shradda. All the ritual mantras create vibrations, they heal our energies and they pull us out of depression. These vibrations relax us; they create positive vibrations inside our being. To console our self, it is said that once we do the Pinda in Badrinath, there is no need to do it again.

Nevertheless, from my experience, I recommend doing it once a year, even if you have done it in Badrinath and continue to do it once in every year. These shradda rituals are done on the amavasya (new moon) day. The amavasya is the time when we face low energy.

Have you heard the word lunar or lunatic? Do you know why people are called lunatics? People whose mind go up or down, along with the lunar cycle, are called lunatic. On Poornima (full moon) and Amavasya (new moon) days, the oceans have big waves, especially on Poornima days, because of the moon rays. There are many scientific explanations. According to the Hindu system, the moon creates an energy in which the salt water is aggravated. Our body is filled with 80% of salt water and just like oceans' salt water being aqgravated, the body's salt water is also aggravated, and that is whv some people feel aggravated.

On amavasya and poornima days, in a humorous way, we say, 'I think today is amavasya, that is why there is too much of noise in the house.' People who suffer from depressed on those days. In someway the moon is associated with our mental setup. On amavasya day, naturally, we will have low energy and that is the reason we are asked to do the ritual shradda and darpana. When these rituals are done, it creates a little peace in side our being and we can pull our self out of depression. It is better to continue these rituals, do not drop them or at least chant those mantras.

2. The Darpana has to be done by the son of the house, what if the house does not have one?

Nice question, here I have to be little clear. In my system, I allow women to perform the darpana. I am open and I feel women are qualified because they are more emotionally attached to parents. Attachment of a son is more like a professional or business attachment of a daughter is based more on heart and emotion: I think women should perform rituals. They must be allowed to do them. At least in our system I allow and encourage women to do all the rituals that men can do.

3. Do the Vanaprasta and Sanyasa apply to both man and woman?

Yes. In the Hindu system, we have Mitrayi, Garyi, and many other women rishis, who were enlightened women. The other day I was reading a book, where there was mention of Sulabha a great-enlightened Master who challenged Janaka and Bhishma (enlightened men). We have enough records, on women rishis, who took vanaprasta, followed by sanyasa and of those who directly took sanyas, from the brahmacharya state (being unmarried), who are called Paramahamsas.

Now a days, all the Hindu missionaries give sanyas to women: it is allowed now. Even in the Dasadami Sampradaya (Hindu scriptures), in Omnaya Pathadhi (Hindu scriptures) also, there are very clear mantras to give sanyas to women, a set of rituals are available to give sanyas to women.

4. What is the difference between individuals doing pooja's at home and attending pooja at a Temple?

It is like going to a five star hotel and having nice food versus you yourself cooking and eating at home. What is difference between these two? You cannot go to a five star hotel everyday. You cook and eat at home but occasionally you go to a hotel and enjoy the food. When you go to a temple, you can enjoy the pooja, as it is done in an elaborate and beautiful manner. You get to see and understand every step and you enjov it. When you cannot go to a hotel, at least do not miss food. Cook what ever you can and eat something in the house. That is all: this is the difference between doing your own and attending a temple ritual.

5. Why should we go to the temple to worship when God is everywhere?

The idea that god is everywhere can becomes a truth only after your self-realization. Seeing God everywhere happens, only when you reach that state. One more thing, I have had many people come and tell me, 'Master, I love the whole world'. Loving the whole world is very easy; loving vour wife is very difficult. Loving the whole world is very easy. You do not have to do any thing but just make a few statements like 'oh, I love the whole world'; 'I care for the whole world' etc. You do not have to do anything to make these statements.

Loving your family is a very difficult thing to do. First, create that love and then love the whole world. With out even creating the idea of love we iust say 'we love the whole world'. In the same way, with out even feeling God in a statue, how can you feel God is everywhere? First thing we need to do is feel God, feel divine in one place and then project the same feeling to the whole universe.

First try to relate, through one source, first achieve, establish that relationship, then you will be able to project the same feeling, same relation ship with the whole world. If you cannot relate, even with one statue, how you will be able to relate with the rest of the world. Please understand. the concept, the ultimate truth that God is everywhere, is not a relative truth.

There are two kinds of truths: absolute truths and relative truths. As of now, you cannot experience the absolute truth simple things and then you will be able to experience the absolute truths. However, until you experience the absolute truths, you cannot use it to escape from your duties. I see many people who use all these big, big words, just to satisfy their life, just to satisfy their mind or want to justify what they are doing. We use these big truths, just to satisfy what we are doing. Please understand, start relating; first with the temples and then you will be able to relate to God, who is everywhere.

6. Going to temples for materialistic benefits, is it right thing to do?

Ramakrishna says beautifully, 'Where else can you go to get what you want?' Asking God for materialistic benefits is not wrong. It is fine, but stopping at that is very wrong.

Starting your devotion in a kāmya (desirous) way i.e. kāmya bhakti (devotion), is not wrong, but stopping at that is wrong. I always tell people, when you start praying your religion starts, but when you start qiving gratitude, your spirituality starts. With prayer your religion starts, with gratitude your spirituality starts. After some time you should start feeling how much He has given to you.

Another thing is asking for something is not wrong but forcing it is wrong. See, why do you pray? You pray because you believe God has śhakti (power) to give you what you want. That is perfectly all right. Sometimes, we force; we say 'I want this, you have to grant it'. Why do we force? We believe that He has śhakti to give what we want, but he also has the buddhi (Intelligence) of when to give! When we want something, we believe he has śhakti, we do not believe he has buddhi; that is where the problem starts.

When you believe he has the śhakti, you start praying and when you know he has buddhi also, you surrender. The real surrender starts and you reach the peak of devotion. You reach the level